Are marshmallows vegan? – The Ultimate Guide

Whether you’re slowly melting them in front of the campfire on a cold summer night or trying to eat 20 at once, we all love the flavor and fluffiness of marshmallows. But have you ever wondered if these foods are harmful to our animals?

In this guide, we’ll analyze all the ingredients in marshmallows to determine if they’re vegan, discuss alternatives, and even learn how to cook our own! Making informed choices about our food is fundamental not only to our health and well-being, but also to the benefit of the world around us. So, are marshmallows vegan?

Vegan side

Before discussing whether marshmallows are vegan, we need to find out what veganism is. This word refers to Choosing to avoid all products, including food, cosmetics, clothes, and more, that are made with animal-derived ingredients. To give an example, vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, eggs and milk, but they also avoid wool and cosmetics tested on animals.

Understanding whether marshmallows are vegan and whether plant-based alternatives exist can help vegans deal with the restrictions associated with their lifestyle and enjoy all the foods they love without harming animals. While answering the million dollar question, are marshmallows vegetarian?

Marshmallow Ingredients: Traditional vs. Vegan Alternatives

Marshmallows are often made from three main ingredients, Sugar, corn syrup and gelatin. Two of these are problematic, Gelatin And sugar. The former is fundamental in making marshmallows as it gives them their fluffy and stretchy texture. Unfortunately, gelatin is made by boiling the connective tissue, skin and bones of cows and pigs and is therefore not suitable for a plant-based diet.

Sugar, on the other hand, does not contain animal products, but its manufacturing processes do. White sugar is bleached with bone char, a material made from crushed animal bones.

Fortunately there are alternatives to both ingredients. Gelatin can be replaced by agar-agar, a material derived from seaweed or aquafabaWhile white sugar can easily be replaced with beet sugar, raw sugar or unrefined sugar.

So, is it vegan?

Whenever you buy marshmallows, take some time to read the label and don’t be afraid to Google ingredients when you’re not entirely sure if they’re vegan or not. On average, the shorter the list the better.

Of course, you want to avoid ingredients like white sugar and gelatin. Whenever the label reports just the word ‘sugar’ without specifying, there’s a pretty high chance it’s white sugar, meaning it’s made with bone char.

A good way to definitely check if something is vegan is to check the package for a vegan or plant-based label. This way, you can be sure that your product is 100% vegan friendly!

Vegan marshmallow alternatives and brands

Fortunately, while traditional marshmallows aren’t vegan, these days, it’s possible to find plenty of plant-based alternatives, both in stores and online. On average, you’ll find these products at health food stores such as The Fresh Market, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. However, these are available only in major cities.
If you live in a small town or rural area, you can order these products online. Here are some of our favorite vegan marshmallow brands.

Funkimello: With so many flavors and products to choose from, this is an amazing alternative to the traditional marshmallow.

Yummallo: This brand can be found at Walmart and is gluten-free.

Mallowpuffs: Vanilla, raspberry and salted caramel marshmallows dipped in Belgian dark chocolate!

Trader Joe’s: Made with tapioca syrup, cane sugar, water, tapioca starch, carrageenan, soy protein and natural vanilla flavor, these marshmallows are completely vegan and gluten-free.

Dandy’s: From peppermint to pumpkin and maple flavors, this brand has plenty of options to choose from.

Make your vegan marshmallows

Do you want to have some fun in the kitchen? Then you can make your own vegan marshmallows! The process is not too difficult, and the result is delicious.

1. Let’s start by mixing two tablespoons of agar agar in ¼ cup of water. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes and in a bowl add two cups of raw sugar and one cup of water.
2. Mix everything and bring to a boil. This is the fun part! You can now add all kinds of essences like vanilla, pumpkin, strawberry… the choice is up to you!
3. Now it’s time to pour the agar agar and water mixture into your container And let it boil for about 15 minutes.
4. Almost finished. Prepare your marshmallows Turn off the heat and use a stand mixer Or a hand blender blend everything together until it turns into a smooth white paste.
5. Add equal parts cornflour and icing sugar Fill a small bowl and a large tin with this mixture. You can set some aside to add on top of your marshmallows once you’re ready.
6. You can now pour your marshmallow mixture into the tin and leave in a place at room temperature overnight. In the morning, you will be able to enjoy delicious homemade marshmallows for your breakfast!

The best way to stuff yourself with Vegan Marshmallows

OK, but what if you go camping? How should you eat your marshmallows? A great way to eat these foods is to add them to your hot chocolate on a cold winter evening.

Another great idea is created marshmallow sticks For a party. Alternate marshmallows with strawberries and dip everything in melted chocolate.

Last but not least, you can try the latest marshmallow trend. Take a vegan cracker and top it with some vegan chocolate chips As well as a large marshmallow. Cover everything with premade vegan cookie dough and cook in oven following directions.

Trust us, it’s bound to become your new favorite treat!

Conclusion

So, now you know! Marshmallows aren’t vegan because of the gelatin and sugar, but there are plenty of plant-based alternatives on the market these days. Alternatively, you can make your own and experiment with different recipes and flavors.

Choosing vegan marshmallows is one of the many everyday actions that can make a big difference toward a better world, where animal suffering is only a distant memory and climate change is finally on the decline.

So, try some vegan marshmallows and enjoy these vegan fluffy treats in all their greatness!

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